


Invasion!

by ZeroSuited



Category: Hoshi no Kaabii | Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Developing Friendships, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Guilt, Headcanons Everywhere, Hive Mind, Invasion, Mild Hurt/Comfort, No Romance, Original Character(s), Possession, Post-Canon, Psychological Trauma, Redemption, War, headcanons, indulgent oc fic that i've waited to show the world, just sayin, misunderstood villain, y'all will hate 0 after i'm done with this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2020-10-12 11:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20563547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeroSuited/pseuds/ZeroSuited
Summary: Strange things have been happening on Popstar these days: Although Nightmare is gone, Tiff knows that the threats won't be over any time soon. Her intuition turns out to be right when a strange swordsman arrives on Popstar, but from what Tiff observes, he is not who he seems. Will Tiff, Tuff and Kirby be able to halt the invasion from the source? Or will their planet be consumed into the ever-growing empire of Zero?





	1. Strange, Strange Things

**Author's Note:**

> This is extremely self indulgent, but bear with me.

It had been an eventful past couple of weeks in Cappy Town, to say the least. Ever since Nightmare was killed, no new threats had emerged- until now.

First it was the presence of an unnaturally dark stormcloud, that seemed to spit these one-eyed beings everywhere- with Sword Kirby's help, those were quickly brought down. _Kirby's getting even stronger,*_ Tiff mused, scribbling in her notebook. _*They'll be able to take on virtually anything soon.*_

Continuing her doodles, she remembered when, a few days before, there was a giant version of one of those one-eyed beings terrorizing the town. It spat ice and fire nearly everywhere, but when Kirby inhaled a piece that Meta Knight cut off, they got a new ability: ESP Kirby! Using these newfound powers, they were able to seemingly tear apart the tinier beings making up the giant- and what was better, they seemed like kids! They were only the size of toddlers, amd bumbled around everywhere in one mass, tripping over one another with their stubby little legs. 

Every kid in Cappy Town (except Honey, she was scared of them) loved them! With Sir Ebrum and, surprisingly, Escargoon's help, they were able to identify these mysterious beings- they were apparently called Dark Matter, more specifically Destroyer drones. These beings were apparently as old as time itself, part of a race dedicated to the god of suffering. Tiff had never really believed in gods, but she knew how the stories went- It was common in Cappy Town for the grown-ups to talk about the myths they were told as kids.

_*A long time ago, there was a god called Zero,*_ She recalled her father’s stories from when she was little.

_*An apathetic, cruel being, he holds command over legions of his own creations: A species called Dark Matter. Legend has it that Zero seeks planets with energy, consuming them in the masses of his empire and using their inhabitants to create more Dark Matter… Are the stories really true?*_

Tiff wasn’t very surprised, to tell the truth- She knew that all legends had a ring of truth to them. But to see these beings… It felt so unreal. _*Servants of the god of suffering… I never really thought it could be real, but here I am.*_

“TIFF!” Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her younger brother, Tuff, dashing into the room, leading a squadron of the little drones beside him- all of them had a single eye dominating their faces, each one in varying hues of purple. Pudgy and diminutive, all of them were chirruping and humming to each other- Apparently how they communicated, according to Escargoon. "I named these ones, wanna hear?"

"Not right now, Tuff. I'm trying to think."

"About?" As Tuff plopped down in her bean bag chair, the tiny little drones swarmed her brother, curling up around him and nestling up next to him. "They certainly like you," Tiff snickered, watching them pile on top of him. "Very funny." He shot back, buried in a mass of baby. "Guys, mind getting up?" 

*Chirrup!*

"I'm guessing that means they don't want to." Tiff laughed at his predicament, but her mind still traced back to the legends she'd heard. "Yeah, it does. What's going on, though?"

"Just… thinking. Don't you think it's a little weird that these guys just started appearing all of a sudden?"

"Ehh, they're not all bad." He shrugged. "Cute, and real cuddly."

"But, what could they herald?" Tiff was at this point lost in her thoughts. "Remember the legends about them?"

"Yeah, yeah. They're not all bad, sis, calm down. I mean, look at these guys!" Tuff began scratching one of their heads and it chirruped and leaned towards him, deeply invested in its scritches. She huffed- Her brother wasn't going to understand, and it was almost time for her to train with Meta Knight anyway. "Alright, then… I've gotta go train."

"Okay. I don't think I'll be moving."

"You better be out of my room when I come back!"

"No promises!" She huffed and closed her door, then grabbed her bag for training and began to head down the castle halls.

Tiff felt lost in her own head on the way there. She couldn't stop thinking about the threats this could bring. *All those tiny drones, and the threat of their species coming here and annihilating us…* A little voice in her head told her she was only being paranoid, but even still, it was always better to be safe. And even then, when she had a feeling, it was normally right. On her way down the castle hallways, she bumped into Sword and Blade- the two squires looked very confused. "Hey, Sword. Blade."

"Howdy, Tiff." Sword murmured, but they seemed distracted. Tiff blinked- Normally, Sword and Blade were upbeat. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. We can't find Sir Meta Knight- He just up and disappeared this morning. He found a note of some sort and then poof!" Her eyebrows furrowed as they said this- *Meta Knight doesn't seem like the kind of guy to do that… Then again, since when has he been the kind of guy you can predict?* "Did you see the note at all?"

"A little, before he ran off. Said something about the canyon."

"Well, why wouldn't you check the canyons?" The two squires shared a look, then looked away. ".... Good point."

"Wanna come with me to investigate?" *Maybe it has something to do with everything that's been happening lately.* "Of course! We don't want you getting hurt!"

"I can hold my own, but okay..." With that, she followed the two out of the castle, and into the world as darkness loomed overhead.


	2. A New Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiff, Sword, and Blade find who they were looking for, but also someone they weren't.

The scraping of steel on celestial steel told it all.

The three squires rushed towards the sounds, that having been their only hint their entire time here.”Sir Meta Knight should be over here, come on!”

Tiff waved the two squires in front of her, then started running again behind them- She wasn’t afraid for his safety, she knew he could take care of himself: Rather, she wanted to know whether or not her theories were right. "I have to say," An unfamiliar voice murmured, making all three of them jolt with shock. "You must be losing your touch in your old age."

"I am not that old."

"And yet, you act as though you have retired. Why is that, sir Meta Knight?"

_CLANG!_ Tiff was starting to exhaust herself, running this deep into the canyons: but her heart dropped into her stomach at the unfamiliar voice, a grave confirmation that her theories might be true. "Because I despise of fighting. Why have your kind come here now?"

"It is simple. Lord Zero requires this planet, and I have been sent to herald the invasion- and get rid of any competition." _*So I'm right! Dark Matter really are trying to invade Popstar!*_ As they rounded the corner, Tiff, Sword, and Blade were just in time to see the spherical swordsman and the unfamiliar Dark Matter clash once more- A black blade swung and connected with Sir Meta Knight's celestial steel sword, Galaxia. 

The figure sent backwards by the collision was one of a tall stature, in a dull orange cloak with red and yellow accent markings. On his back, there was the sheath of a sword- presumably the one in his hands- and around his neck hung a mask on a string that was strikingly similar to Sir Meta Knight's.

His head structure was unlike the smaller drones that she knew, with crests not unlike those of a cockatiel and a giant, bright violet eye dominating his face. "Resistance is futile. You will succumb, or you will be destroyed."

"Sir!" The two squires rushed over to the knight, leaving the Matter quite alarmed- The crests on his head were raised. "What's that? Why's it got a mask-?"

"Not now, Sword, Blade. Leave this to me- this is an old vendetta that needs to be solved."

"I am not a what or an it. I am a _he_, or they. You should treat superiors with respect, especially ones so close to a being who could crush you all with a snap." Sword and Blade looked over with alarm at the stiff speaking Matter- His voice was a monotone tenor, which seemed to be conditioned into him. "Although I may not be superior to you in skill, but the Mind is certainly better than an organic such as you."

"Organic?! Why, I oughta-" Sword growled, but was held back by Meta Knight. "Do you even know what that means, Sword?" As the three were distracted with each other, Tiff watched unsurely as the Matter sighed and seemed to be readying an attack. Slowly, white began to creep up the length of the stark black blade in his hands, and as the sword beamed white with an unknown magic...

She charged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll just have to wait a little longer, guys. The next chapter is certainly going to be fun! Although this one's a little short. Sorry about that.


	3. Clash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their new foe finally gets a name- And a reputation.

Tiff barreled towards the much larger Matter with a battle cry, knocking him off his balance and sending them both careening to the ground. The glow in the black sword fizzled out as she did so- _*I broke his focus!*_ \- but she could see the surprise in Meta Knight's eyes, and the fear in Sword and Blade's.

Before the being could harm her, however, she leapt to her feet and put her training blade in front of her in an offensive position- But he only got back to a hover. "How brave." He spoke, glaring through her with a chilling violet eye. "How very, _very,_ stupid. But are those words not the same thing?"

"I'm Squire Tiff, and if you wanna get to Sword, Blade, or Meta Knight you're gonna have to go through me!"

"Very well, Squire Tiff. If we are introducing ourselves, I shall do so as well. My name is Eclipse. The last name you will ever hear."

"Tiff, wait!" Blade and Sword came dashing towards her, drawing their weapons and standing firm on either side. "If you're gonna fight her you're gonna fight us too!"

"Very well." Whirling the black blade in one hand, Eclipse poised it for attack- She could see the same white glow beginning to creep up the center of the sword. "Prepare to meet your end."

"SCATTER!"

**BOOM!**

A beam of pure white energy cut the battlefield in half as the three squires leapt away from it, searching now for their opponent. Tiff had seen demon beasts and monsters, before she'd started her training: She'd seen how Kirby made it seem easy. But this… She'd never seen anything like it.

_*What is this guy?*_ She wondered as he clashed with Sword. _*And why does something feel so... off about this?*_ Feeling very inactive, Tiff charged up on his right side to try and land a hit, but Eclipse seemed to expect it- he disappeared before she could bring her blade down, reappearing behind her and rushing to slash her in two.

Surprised by his speed, she dipped away at the last second, scraping their blades together- her sword nearly broke under the sheer force of the blow. Gritting her teeth, she leapt backwards as he rushed again, dipping under his blade and landing her elbow right in his chest.

A snarl of malcontent as the Matter teleported backwards, away from her and Sword, who had come up from the side. Eclipse took a moment to rewrap his cloak, which her blow had loosened- _*Is he hiding something from us?*_

Without warning, he rushed again, but this time Tiff was expecting it and she sprung back- to her surprise- she sent a sword beam careening for his eye! _*I've never done that before!*_ Tiff thought, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

As the beam of light hit him dead on, the Matter recoiled with a cry of shock, making Sword and Blade come charging on opposite sides- _*Sir Meta's gonna be so proud of me!*_ Eclipse blipped away at the last moment, however, causing the squires to collide helm first and fall flat on the ground.

Readying herself for when he reappeared, she abruptly noticed a glowing violet symbol in the dark- It looked similar to a letter, but in a language she was far from knowing. Then, an incantation, in a strange tongue that only left her confused as the symbol glowed brighter._*What the-*_

"TIFF!"

**FWOOSH!**

Sword and Blade rushed to guard her from the violet flames that rose forward, roaring like an angry beast and nearly deafening. Blade raised their shield, but before the spell could die it seared the wood a dark black. "We almost just got fried like lobsters!"

"And there's a lot more coming, guys!" She put herself back to back with them to block an incoming rush from the Swordsman, again getting to clash directly with him- He nearly broke her blade in two again, with more force behind this one.

Willing herself to stay standing, she didn't let him leap away to leave her off balance- Instead, she pushed back with all her strength, sparks spitting between them. "Now!" She shouted to the two squires through gritted teeth, allowing Eclipse to realize his mistake a moment too late.

Sword and Blade rushed in like lightning and took him down- "Good job, guys!" Tiff barely had any breath in her left, but she praised the two anyway and watched as they beamed in response.

Shaking them off, Eclipse lifted himself from the ground and grabbed his sword from nearby- Then, with not another word, he vanished. The girl got ready for another attack, but after a few minutes of searching for the Swordsman, it was clear that they had at least fought him away for now.

"He disappeared as soon as we got him…" Sword groaned, disappointed, but Tiff smiled at him, wiping at the sweat on her forehead. "It's okay. We should really tell Escargoon about that… He might know a little more."

"Escargoon? Why Escargoon?" The two looked at each other with an incredulous expression.

"He told me and Tuff all about the little drones." She responded- Then, after a comfortable silence, a realization hit Tiff. "Speaking of people from the castle… Where's Sir Meta Knight?" As the three squires began to look for the older Knight, however, they barely felt the eye watching them.

"Interesting. Very interesting." Eclipse murmured to himself, hidden in the shadows of a nearby cave. "How was the small one enough to best me like that…? I must know. I must learn her secret and report back to my Lord. Then… Then, it shall begin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Matter finally has a name- Eclipse! He does look strange, even for Dark Matter. I wonder why that is: You'll find out in a later chapter.


	4. Beware of Starlight's Bane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New information surfaces, and it paints a very bloody picture.

Back at the castle, Tiff had finally caught up to the king's advisor, who was currently on break. Now that Nightmare was gone and Dedede had been bested many, many times by Kirby, he was finally starting to clean up his act- at least somewhat. "As childish and rude as he is," The snail mused, "He's at least starting to give me a break."

"That's good. Thanks for the tea, by the way." She sipped at the warm, very welcome drink, watching as Escargoon beamed. "No worries! I'm very glad you like it: my mother taught me that recipe." 

She smiled at him and took a cookie off the table, but suddenly heard Kirby squeaking from across the room. "Poyo, poyo!" They ran over, flailing their little stubs. "Oh, hi Kirby," Tiff said, helping the pink ball up onto the seat next to her. "Coogie, puyo?"

"Yes, Kirby, you can have a cookie. Just one." Escargoon was still a little grumpy, but all in all, he was starting to mellow out now that Dedede wasn't on his back constantly. He was even pleasant nowadays. "So, Escargoon… I wanted to talk to you about what happened in the canyons today."

"Oh? What was that?" Kirby's adorable munching was a little distracting to Tiff, who rubbed their head and smiled, but she did her best to recount the events to the snail. "So, Sword, Blade and I were trying to find Sir Meta Knight, who'd disappeared early that morning upon getting a note. When we found him, he was sword fighting with a Dark Matter!"

"Oh? What did it look like? Did it give a name?"

"He was kinda weird looking. Big purple eye, crests, an orange cloak that was perpetually closed- it didn't even open when I tackled him." Escargoon's expression became one of dread as she explained his appearance, and the odd color of his blade. "I have a feeling I know who this is. Was the name… Eclipse?"

"Mhm." 

"Oh, Nova save us. This is worse than I thought…" He shook his head and got up, gesturing for her to follow. "Come with me, I need to show you something."

"Can Kirby come?" The pink baby jumped up beside her and took her hand, staring at the king's advisor with big blue eyes. He was quiet for a minute, then sighed- "Oh, fine. This isn't going to be fun."

"Okai!" 

"Now, follow me- We're going to need to go into the castle library. I found a book with an entire page about this one." Dread was beginning to worm its way into Tiff's stomach as they walked in silence- She had a feeling that this was no normal foe that they were up against.

And yet, something felt… Wrong.

_*He seemed so detached while we fought. Like he was just going through the motions of something he's done hundreds of times.*_ The girl mused to herself.

_*Is there something else that I don't know? Is there more behind the scenes?*_ Once again, that little voice in her head was telling her she was overthinking it- but she shook it away and kept up with Escargoon. _*For a snail he sure is fast!*_

Getting to the library, Escargoon lead the both of them towards the back, where the old history books were. Kirby tapped the spine of one of the books absentmindedly, and a cloud of dust poofed into their face, making them shake their head and sneeze- Tiff giggled at this, but the long shadows created by the old torches were enough to send a shiver down her spine.

"As I was saying before," Escargoon muttered, "I was reading through a history book on the GSA when, in a section about the known mercenaries, I found a strange one- a Dark Matter Swordsman, fighting for Nightmare!"

"Don't they have a tendency towards evil or something?" Tiff asked, brushing a cobweb away from her face. "And, besides, how do you know it's the same one?"

"Your description and this picture match up exactly, and so does the name. Apparently, as it says here…" The snail took the book off the shelf and began to read aloud, making Tiff and Kirby lean up to see the pictures.

"Eclipse, also known as Starlight's Bane, is a particularly deadly assassin who has evaded us many times. He is elusive and often strikes quickly, leaving us confounded and some of our best mortally wounded. In battle, he is known for using powerful magic as well as the Obsidian Blade, a gift given to him by Nightmare himself for his deadliness."

"So… What you're telling me is he served for Nightmare?"

"Says it right here. And, even better: it has a picture."

The king's advisor flipped the book around to show them, and sure enough, there it was. The quality was a little grainy and it looked to be taped into the book, but when she felt it, it was printed with the page. It was definitely from a security camera, and what looked to be blood was staining Eclipse’s cloak and blade while, in one hand, he held the same mask that was around his neck. "That mask belonged to a Star Warrior, way back when."

"He was wearing it when we fought…"

"Exactly. That's a bad apple, Tiff. And as they say, the bad apple doesn't fall far from the tree…" Her mind flashed back to the old legends, but she shook her head- _*Something else has to be happening here. Something just doesn't feel right.*_ Swallowing her apprehension, Tiff spoke.

"Escargoon, I think there might be more that we don't know about him. He just seemed so robotic when we fought, like… like he was just going through the motions."

"Because he was. He's killed hundreds."

"But don't you think there's more to the story? Think about it, Escargoon. There's gotta be something else-"

"Come on, Tiff." He closed the book with a thump, placing it back on the shelf with a shake of his head. "You can't possibly think that. That's not a good person, and even less a redeemable one. If you wanted to try, be my guest, but don't be surprised if you end up skewered at the end of his blade."

"Okay, fine. But if I'm right, you owe me five d-bills."

"That's more than I get paid," the snail deadpanned, a dry chuckle coming from him as he began to make his way out of the dusty library. "Well, if you need me, I'll be in my quarters, unless the king calls. I hope he doesn't."

"Alright. Bye for now."

_*But even still… Why do I feel like there's something I don't know? I need a look at that book again.*_ And so, snatching the book from the case, she began to walk her way up to her room, Kirby in tow.


	5. All Talk...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From a subordinate, Tiff hears new things.

Tiff sighed as she sat down on her bed and opened the book, staring down at the grainy photo in the print. "Thank Nova Tuff isn't here,” She murmured, staring at the photo as well as the information in the book. There wasn’t much on him, in fact- Only the general description that Escargoon read, and some statistics on his appearance and attacks. *_This should be helpful for later._* 

“Kirby, come here for a sec."

"Poyo?" The baby hopped up on her bed beside her as she waved them up. Curiously, they looked at the book, and she pointed at the picture, allowing the puff a closer look to try and confirm her suspicions. *_If I’m right,_* She thought, *_This could be huge._*

“So, Kirby… Is it just me, or does Eclipse look absolutely miserable? In the photo, I mean."

"...Poyo." After a moment of deliberation, Kirby nodded their head, putting a nub on top of the picture.

"I'm happy you at least agree with me. I just, I feel like there's so much more to this than what we know. And I'm kinda worried, to be honest- What could be happening behind the scenes to make him so miserable?" 

Tiff was deep in thought now, until abruptly, she felt something on her back. Flipping around, she saw a violet eye, and for a minute her heart seized- But then she saw two others, all in varying shades, and let out a breath. _*Just the drones…_

"Hey, you three." They peeped in response, all three nuzzling the side of her face. "Did Tuff name you yet?" They looked at each other, then shook their heads- Then, they stared at her dependently with big eyes. "Okay… To start, I'm gonna give each of you something to make you unique. Kirby, wanna rummage through my closet with me to find these three accessories?"

"Poyo-yo!" They leaped to their feet and smiled, and the effect was immediate- The three drones whistled cheerfully and followed them to the closet.

Tiff watched as they dug through her bins of accessories, pudgy hands tossing scarves and other things out and onto the floor. One of them found a bow, which they stuck on their head and chirruped happily- It was purple and sparkling, the same color as their eye. "I'm glad you found one you like," She voiced, fixing it to sit at an angle. "How about the name, Berry, for you?" _Chirp!_ The little Matter waved their arms and made a face like it was smiling. "Alright then! Berry it is!" 

The next one had a pinkish eye, still with violet hues coloring through it. "Hmm… Candy, maybe?" She said, fixing the little cape it had made out of a threadbare pink blanket. "I'll make you a button for that later." It hopped up and down- Apparently, it liked that name!

"Okay, Candy it is. What about you?" She went to the third, who was certainly the strangest. Its eye was almost black, it had such a deep purple color, and it seemed to be bigger than the rest.

*I do not know.*

Suddenly it spoke, in an unnerving telepathic voice that made her jump. *There is nothing that really matches my color here.*

"You guys really like matchy colors, huh?" Tiff murmured, watching the other two chase each other and Kirby around the room. Kirby hopped up on her windowsill and smiled down at the two drones, who tried to hop up and tag him- But their efforts went to waste as Kirby squeaked happily and hopped over their heads, making them fall back as they tried to follow them with their eyes.

*Indeed. Our Commander used to wear the colors of his eye, but that clothing became too torn. We tend towards our Commander's tendencies, after all.* A moment of silence as the odd drone began to rummage again, finally coming out with a necklace- A deep purple stone was set in silver, and they clipped it around their neck and posed. *Ah, I rather like this. The metal feels nice.*

"Well, it’s good you found something. But… Who's your... Commander? And, what do you want your name to be? You can’t go so long without a name." The drone blinked with surprise, that deep violet eye gleaming with surprise.

*Have you not met him yet? Odd. Our Commander is Eclipse, which we are quite proud of.* Immediately, Tiff's heart dropped into her stomach. 

"Are… are you still under him? And, what do you mean by Commander?” Tiff had a feeling that there was another meaning behind the word.

*No, no. You misinterpret me. We are under you and Sir Tuff now. Eclipse was engineered as a breed of his own, to lead us into invasion and battle. Although, as for his true purpose...* Suddenly, the drone went quiet. 

*Ah, that is not my information to give. Anyway, I would appreciate if you called me Z. Just Z. A simple name, for a simple being such as myself.*

"Okay… Can you tell me anything more about Eclipse? What did you mean, true purpose?" Those words left a bad taste in her mouth, but the drone shook their head. *I can tell you not much.* Tiff's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

*Lord Zero wouldn't like if you knew his secrets. And that would run the story, would it not?* Tiff blinked, watching as a mouth appeared on the drone's face and grinned at her. *But anyway. We should really be getting back to our fellows. You may come with us, if you'd like.*

As the other two, Candy tripping over their own two feet, ran out of the room, she watched as Z calmly walked out, twitching their head for Tiff to follow. And, as she did, before she could start wondering what they meant, she found someone she never thought she'd meet in a situation like this. In the spare guest room was where the drones stayed, per order of her parents, but there was another guest this time.

There was Eclipse, sitting in the center of the drones. 

His eye was closed as the drones nestled to him, curling around their former boss and some even making sounds that resembled purring. Tiff stifled a gasp- *_Why's he here?! I really need to tell Sir Meta Knight… Oh Nova. No, I should get my sword_.* Soon, however, Z tapped his shoulder- They looked at her and grinned again as Eclipse's eye opened.

And locked onto her, his crests raising with the surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe they'll talk? Find out next chapter ;) Also, I'm sorry this has been a while. Executive dysfunction is never fun.


	6. ... And No Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight leads to a conversation.

The effect was immediate. Eclipse was stone still, his eye wide and surprised as Tiff began to back away to get her sword. *_ Okay, just make a break for it, and if he pursues… Just run._*

n a flash, Tiff began running through the hall, snatching her training blade off the wall and whipping around to see the Swordsman in hot pursuit. To her surprise, the drones didn't follow- It was just her and Eclipse.

And Tiff knew he could easily overpower her. 

Backing up towards the window, she tried to hold her ground but was still being pushed back by the tip of the blade- It was too close for comfort, and definitely recently sharpened.

"Hello again," Spoke the Commander, his voice as icy and monotone as ever. "Squire Tiff, was it?"

She didn't respond- Frozen with fear, she began looking for an escape route. *_He's floating at least five inches off the ground. Maybe I could…_*

"No matter. Have you any last words, small one?" The blade began to power up. Other than the icy violet color, there was something else there- Was that regret? Sorrow? She couldn't tell. Silently, she waited. Counting down. *_ Three…_*

"No?"

*_Two…_*

"Well… I apologize."

***NOW!***

The world felt like it was going in slow motion. The glow from the blade became overwhelming as Tiff slid under him, rolling down in an evasive maneuver and, soon, coming out on the other side- Unscathed, except for a carpet burn on her arm. An explosion behind her as the beam drilled a hole in the brick of the castle, and sirens wailed in her ears as she ran, dashing down the stairs and through the hallways to the throne room.

Soon, she'd made her way outside with a racing heart, trying to breathe but watching as a flash of black and violet followed her through the hole. She leapt away from a strike that would have ended her, going forward to clash with him and finally landing a slice on his arm- As Eclipse yanked the blade from the ground, he shrieked with pain.

She tried to land another, but it was blocked by the steel, shoving her backwards and getting ready to fire off a magic burst. Tiff strafed her way around him and tried to land another hit, but was held back by a searing burst of magic that licked at her arm- Pulling back her hurt arm and trying not to tear up, she drove her sword arm forward, sinking the blade deep into the Matter's flesh.

He shrieked again, struggling away and bringing a hand to his side. His cloak had barely opened with the blow. "Resistance... is futile." He breathed, trying to put pressure on his side. "Then why aren't you hurting me, huh?" Tiff shouted. "Come on! Or are you too hurt?"

"You are powerful, I will say this. But… You cannot fight much longer. You will exhaust yourself, and I will get the upper hand."

*_He's right… I can't do this much longer._* "I was engineered to fight. Resistance is futile." The wound that Tiff had created was already scarring over with a violet, stony substance- His blood seemed to be crystallizing. What was more, Tiff's own wounds were starting to sting. The burns on her arm, the various cuts and scrapes from clashing so directly, she was feeling them now. And they didn't feel good. 

*_Still, I have to try._* Tiff braced herself to fight again, taking a breath through ragged lungs. "I'm still gonna fight."

"I have to say, you are very powerful for such a small size. Before I must end your feeble life… How?"

"What?"

"How do you-" Abruptly, a rumbling seemed to split the ground in two- Eclipse even stumbled as the ground beneath them shook, dust and dirt being thrown up as the roaring of a beast echoed in the girl's ears.

"What was that?!" Tiff cried, looking over to the Matter. His eye was trained on the horizon, even as the ground beneath their feet shook. Then, suddenly, she was falling, scrabbling at the air for a hold, the echoing of a scream in her ears.  
-  


A second too late.

Meta Knight was a second too late.

He wanted to chase her down through the long-buried caverns that had opened in the tremor; He knew this feeling all too well. The feeling of being watched and then the tremors roaring through the world, collapsing the ground and opening ancient tombs. In this case, at least. The knight stared down into the abyssal dark after the tremor subsided, then looked to the sky.

_They're here._

_Zero has arrived._

  
-  


When she woke up, the sun was gone. 

Conveniently enough, Tiff had landed in a puffy patch of glowing blue mushrooms, but her sword was snapped in half next to her. *_Now I have no way to defend myself…_* Looking around the cavern, it seemed she'd landed in some sort of tomb. "Eclipse?" She said into the dark- only a groan was her response. "Where are you?"

"... Here." A form moved on the ground- Tiff hadn't been able to see him in the dark, but now she could. He'd instead hit the ground, and seemingly very hard at that. "What was that? I have a feeling you know something."

"The herald of the invasion. Tremors happen as we gather energy to break into the world." Tiff's heart dropped into her stomach. "How… how long do we have left?"

"A month. Since the Ripplian war, it has taken longer and longer to be able to rip holes through the dimensions." Surprisingly, Eclipse was answering Tiff's questions, but her heart just about dropped into her stomach when she saw the injuries, the scars.

His cloak had since opened during the fall, so she could now see what he had seemed to be hiding. His body was primarily shrouded in black, but from what she could see, violet stone- Like how his blood seemed to crystallize earlier- criss-crossed his body.

Another thing Tiff noticed, a mouth was held on his chest- She could guess that it was movable, thanks to his goopy body. But they didn't have much time. Eclipse was weakening, and black blood was now starting to pool beneath him. "Why are you answering my questions?"

"I feel as though my form is critically damaged. Your friends will be here soon enough, and I will be called back."

"Called back?"

"Affirmative. If my form is damaged sufficiently, Lord Zero is able to recall me and see how I have done." She was quiet for a long moment. "You're close to this Zero, huh?"

"Indeed. For he is my father." Her jaw just about dropped. Remembering what she'd heard from Z, she blinked, then found the bearing to speak. "But isn't every Dark Matter related? Didn't Zero create all of you?"

"You know little about my species, do you not." He said this like a statement instead of a question.

"Myself and my siblings are direct creations, and in that we are supposed to take great pride. The rest of us come from the soul remnants of those afflicted by Dark Matter Sickness, which is spread by a concentrated amount of unspecialized drones in one area." Tiff blinked- She'd never heard about this before, and hearing about it from this one was a shocker. "The disease almost always kills, and from the bodies of the afflicted rise new drones."

"Is it gonna…?"

"Eventually, yes, it may arrive here. Do not take it personally. It is merely my job to herald the invasion." A sudden squeeze of sympathy grabbed hold of her heart. _*So am I right...?*_

The question came out before she could stop it. "So you don't want to do this..?"

Eclipse was silent for a little bit, claws feebly scraping on the stone of the cavern floors to try and force himself to his feet. But it was to no avail. "... Yes. You are correct. I am only doing this to… Try and make Lord Zero happy."

His breathing was starting to get hoarse, and his form was starting to blurr. "I am being… Called back. Your friends should be here in a moment. Squire Tiff… Beware. The invasion has begun."

With that, she watched as his form faded away, dissolving into black and leaving nothing there. Even his sword went with him. *_So is he really just trying to make his father proud? That's probably a really sad existence. Just trying to make someone who should be proud of you no matter what proud..._

She was lost in her thoughts for a moment, until, finally, she saw a rope extend down to her, with Sir Meta Knight at the other end. "Climb up." He said, his voice not betraying any emotion. "Are you hurt?"

"No, not really. A little scraped up from the fight, but I landed in a pile of mushrooms."

"Good. We'll patch you up, don't worry. Your mother has been worried sick."

  
-  


The normal falling sensation of being called back to the Hyper Zone, but Eclipse never minded it at this point. **Stand.**

"Father. I was bested-"

**By an organic. Stand.** Eclipse flinched at the harsh voice, and shielded his eye from the divine in front of him. _Do not look up. Do not make eye contact._ He yelled at himself mentally, but he knew what was coming. **I have a question for you, Eclipse. Look at me.** Taking a very deep breath, Eclipse looked up, standing as straight as possible. "Y- Yes?" 

**You are stuttering, Eclipse. Speak clearly. Or must I show you how?**

"That is not necessary, father." He was starting to shake now, he knew it was coming. **Good. Now, my question. Why did you humor the small organic? You are not supposed to step out of your designation, and you have.** There it was. Eclipse took a deep, ragged breath, a shiver running down his spine. "I believed that it was only polite to-"

**Polite does not matter! You are foolish enough to tell this small organic everything. This constitutes punishment.** Eclipse swallowed harshly. "Father, please. I just thought it would be polite-"

**How many times must I tell you- Organics are LESSER. You should not be ~polite~ with a LESSER BEING.** He flinched- Eclipse hated this. "Please-"

**Enough begging. You have forced my hand, and now you will suffer the consequences.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This poor, poor boy. Just a little glimpse into what's really going on for ya ;)


	7. Forewarnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A warning, and a solar eclipse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG, HOLY COW. I got caught up in school, and it's been kicking me in the teeth! Thank you for your support through this- I promise I'll get more done soon!

A week.

It had been a week since they'd even seen a trace of Eclipse.

*_I know he's elusive, but to hide out for an entire week… It seems unlike him._* Tiff watched Tuff, Iroo, and Spikehead play tag with Candy and Berry, Z curled next to her like a particularly odd cat. She hadn't been able to get their conversation off her mind ever since they'd had it, just thinking back to the way he'd admitted that no, he didn't want to do this. _ I feel really bad for the poor guy… There's obviously something going on here. Why, after we actually talked, does he not appear again for another week?_ Once again, her own self doubt told her that he didn't want to appear to her and was trying to trick her somehow, but she shook it away. _Why would he lie?_

*Is there something on your mind?* The drone next to her looked up with an expression of confusion. *You seem distressed.*

"How do you talk like that?"

*I am a head drone, when we are together. I have telepathic abilities, as well as abilities of aura. What is irking you?*

"The other day, I had a conversation with Eclipse."

*Oh? What about?*

"He was about to be called back, and he told me a bit about Zero, and… and himself. He told me he didn't want to invade, but he had to."

*Ah, I see.* The drone's expression never changed- It simply stared up at her with a large, dark eye. "I haven't seen him since then. Things have felt oddly calm."

*Forces have been gathering in the shadows. You may not know it, but we are gathering, readying our forces for the invasion. You may deal with something… later today.* Hope began to well in her heart. "Will Eclipse be there? I'm worried."

*I can tell you this- The same, but different. The one who swallows the sun has arrived.*

"Swallows the sun..? Didn't he mention something about siblings?"

*You're getting good. I need to get better riddles.* Z grinned again, their dark eye flashing. *He is, yes, one of Eclipse's siblings, and a stronger one at that. As Dark Matter, instead of going by age, we go by strength for sibling order. Although Eclipse is thousands of years older than his brother, his brother is stronger than him, so he is considered older.* 

The girl blinked, confusion shining in her eyes. "You guys sure are strange."

*Perhaps to you. You will understand when you meet him.* 

"How many siblings does Eclipse have? And- Does he have any sisters?" Her excitement rose as Z nodded. *Two. One of whom is very close to him, and the other is the eldest and… Well, I don't even know much about her. All I can say is beware.* Tiff nodded silently- She'd gotten all she needed, but still didn't know when this mystery sibling would strike. She watched her brother for a little while longer, watching as he, Candy, Iroo, Spikehead and Berry kicked around a soccer ball- She laughed as it landed in mud, but then her parents came running over. "Tiff! Tuff!" They called. "Would you want to come with us to watch the solar eclipse later?" *_Solar eclipse…. The one who swallows the sun!_* She realized in a flash of recollection. That would be when this mysterious figure attacked, she knew it.

"Uh, sure," She murmured. She didn't want them getting hurt, because if Zero knew anything… well, she'd be a target. "Can I go talk to Sir Meta Knight first?"

"Of course, dear. We know how much you value your training." With haste, she made her way to the castle- Avoiding waddle dees and the king, making her way down into the hallways where the warrior resided. "Sir!" She shouted, getting the round one's attention. He turned to face her, his eyes shining with a subtle amusement. "Tiff. Do you need something?"

"One of the drones told me earlier that there's gonna be someone attacking today. _The one who swallows the sun,_ they called him. Do you know what this could mean at all?"

"Yes indeed, I do." He nodded. "I have only heard rumors and legends, but I have heard that this one is the most brutal of the Commanders. That is his title, much like Eclipse's is Starlight's Bane. I believe, however, it correlates to his name instead of his actions." The old warrior handed her a spare sword- This time of a shinier, newer steel. "Take this. It will be a dangerous battle, and you must protect civilians."

"But…. Won't you be helping me?"

"It's my day off. You are more than capable."

"Oh, come on!" Tiff crossed her arms and pouted. He merely chucked- She could tell he was still being serious, though. "You wouldn't deprive an old warrior of his day off, would you? And besides, this will be a good learning experience for you."

"_Learning experience?!_ People are gonna _die_ if I'm not careful, just as you said!"

"This is how I learned. You are more than capable, Tiff- You are smarter than you give yourself credit for." Sighing with frustration, she took the sword and walked out to join her parents. _I can't believe how stubborn he is!_ She huffed, sheathing the steel blade onto her back. _If I die, I'm totally gonna haunt him._ So, rushing out with her sword, she went to join her parents- And await what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, a new challenger approaches? Just who is this sun swallower?


	8. Sun Swallower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A total eclipse of the sun brings with it a new foe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I.... have nothing to say for myself. School, yadda yadda yadda, enjoy!

Tiff wrapped her arms around herself as she strode up the hill, going to join her parents, the drones and her brother. _*I have to stay vigilant,*_ she told herself, one hand going to the hilted blade she held at her side. _*This sun swallower could attack at any second, and I have to be ready for it.*_ Her brother was still bouncing his soccer ball on his feet, kicking it back and forth with a smile. None of them had any idea what was happening- For right now, they lived in bliss, unaware of the danger looming just over their heads. 

This was about to change.

She didn't want them to have to know what she did- In just five weeks, their planet was going to be invaded and consumed. Tiff felt as though she was running out of time, like this little one-girl resistance she had going was, as Eclipse said it, futile. _*No,*_ she shook her head. _*I will do this. I can't let Zero get to me.*_ Perhaps that was what these thoughts came from- That myth shrouded god of suffering, of everything that made people miserable. _*And Eclipse is his son...*_ Still, the young squire's mind wandered back to the assassin. _*What a life that must be.*_

"Tiff, dear, come on!" She was dragged from her thoughts by her mother's calling. "You don't want to miss this- We have special glasses to look directly at it!"

"I'm coming, mom." She started to walk faster, dismissing all her thoughts of gloom and doom to live in the now with her family. _*Might as well.*_ When she got to the top of the hill, her mother handed her a pair of the glasses- "Don't look too long, now. It can still hurt you."

"Thanks, mom." She smiled uneasily. She knew her mother could tell something was off, oh she always could. But Tiff didn't want to burden her with that. "Not a problem, darling. You know if you ever need anything..."

"I know."

"My goodness, look how tall you've gotten. My, I remember when you were this big!" The lady grinned, bringing a hand to her side as if measuring. "You've grown, young lady, you really have." Tiff couldn't help but smile now. She knew what was coming, she knew she might die in a little bit, but she wasn't letting it show. Better not to make them worry. 

As the moon began to move in front of the sun and shroud the world in shadow, Tiff felt a pit of dread growing in her stomach. She looked away and took off her glasses, glancing around uncertainly- still nothing. Nothing there. Nothing behind her but Z, staring away from the sun and into the town. _*Nova, get this over with already,*_ she pleaded to herself, drawing her sword. "Does anyone else feel a chill?" She said, but got no response- Her parents and brother were too busy watching the eclipse. 

Slowly, ever so slowly, day became night. She was left glancing around, waiting for something. Waiting for an attack. "Is someone there?" She called out into the growing shadow. No response, but she swore she heard a laugh, and she gripped her new steel sword tighter. Then, as the light began to come back...

"Sis, watch out!"

She heard her little brother shout, heard her mother gasp and hide behind her father- leaping away from the weapon, she pointed her sword in front of her. A scythe, blacker than night and carved obsidian, was stuck where she stood just seconds ago. "I missed," said a shadowy figure, rising up to his full height. He was tall, completely dwarfing the Cappy girl. "Oh well. You've heard 'bout me, huh?" It was glaringly obvious that he was Dark Matter by the single, sapphire blue eye dominating his face and the odd crested head, similar to Eclipse. "It don't matter now. The name's Apophis, girly, and I'm gonna be your end!"

"You can do this, Tiff!" To her surprise, Tuff ran to her side, his soccer ball still muddy and at his feet. "I'll distract him, 'kay?"

"What a brave, brave little boy." Apophis hefted his scythe from the ground, bringing up chunks of soil and grass with it. He was dressed in a cloak much different than his brother's- It was blue with gold trimmings, and the Matter wore some sort of shawl over it, which went over one arm and looped around his other shoulder. _*A bit of a stupid outfit choice for that weapon,*_ Tiff thought to herself. _*The shawl probably restricts his movement. I'll use that against him!*_ "But also a stupid little boy too. If you're so desperate to help her, then come on! Gimme all you got!" He brandished the scythe, excitement burning in that sapphire eye.

The one who swallows the sun had arrived. And he wasn't going to be merciful.


	9. To Be Rid Of A Snake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scythes aren't a very smart weapon choice. Swords, and soccer balls, however, are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OUGH I AM SO SORRY ABOUT LEAVING FOR SO LONG. Got caught up in life and completely forgot. But anyway, after too long, have another chapter! This one is a little bit of a roller coaster, but I enjoyed writing it.

All at once, the scythe swung down again like a guillotine towards her.

Pushing her brother to her mom despite his objections and blocking with her sword, sparks flew from their clash as Tiff snarled with frustration. *He's stronger than Eclipse. I have to be careful.* 

Apophis laughed and swung to her side, and she felt the scythe's tip embed itself into her- Not too hard, but still enough to cause her to cry out and yank the weapon away from her. The gash was small, but it still hurt.

"Tiff, look out darling! Oh, I can't watch..." Her mother wailed as her daughter dashed away from a heavy strike and turned as the Commander's sapphire eye narrow with frustration. "Stay still, little girl, and you'll make my job waaay easier."

"Don't you call my sister that!"

"Tuff!" Tiff stepped in front of her younger brother, shielding him from the Commander's wrath and holding her sword out. Tiff had to admit, she was starting to break a sweat- She was injured, cornered against a cliff face, facing down a Dark Matter Commander and barely armored.

But she still had to try.

So she tried.

Feinting to the right and watching as he swung a hit that would have decapitated her, she charged his cloaked side with a battle cry, ramming herself into his body and shoving her sword into the larger creature's side. He cursed and tried to hit her, but his weapon was too long. Apophis' scythe only ended up shearing some grass before he successfully shoved her away and onto her back.

Tiff hit the ground hard and pain flared up her side, going head over heels down the hill and feeling the air leave her lungs. *How did he hit that hard? Even with that stupid cloak?* When the scythe barely scuffed her stomach and thunked into the ground next to her, the girl knew she had to move and thus rolled away.

"You ain't gonna best me on your own," Apophis taunted, lifting the weapon in his hands. "You're outclassed, girlie. You're already outta breath. Give it up, and I'll make y' death quick." She sneered and bared her teeth at him. *No. No, I won't give up.*

With another cry of rage and frustration, she charged again, trying to drive her sword into his stomach this time- But Apophis just laughed and kicked her down, surprising her with legs under that cloak. *These guys have legs?! No fair!* Her shock turned to dread when her blade slipped from her hand and she tumbled down the hill. 

When Tiff finally stopped rolling, she hit her back against a rock- and hard. He was right. She was outclassed. The girl was seeing stars and her side was aching and oozing blood, but she heard the Dark Matter laugh. Her blood went cold, and she could only watch Apophis' form moving towards her family as he brandished his scythe-

"You're gonna have to get through me!"

*Tuff?! No!* 

The girl tried to stand again, but hot pain shot up her back, side and neck, and she collapsed, gasping for breath. *No, no... This can't be...*

She was still, silent now, tears slipping down her face. *I've failed.* She watched Apophis slowly approaching her brother, now, brandishing his scythe, laughing and jeering-

*SMACK!*

A shape went flying at the Matter's face and hit him square-on. "That's what you get!" Her brother shouted. "Soccer ball to the *face*!"

"Grrr-" Apophis tried to get up again. Both him and Tiff were shocked into stillness when Tuff kicked it again in exchange and hit him square in the eye. Tiff now tried to stand, and this time her body cooperated in spite of her injuries. *Thank Nova!*

Reinvigorated and relieved, she snatched up her sword and made a mad dash for the top of the hill, where the Matter was struggling back to his floating position.

When Tiff finally got back up to the hill, Apophis was just getting back to his hover and grabbing his scythe from the ground. He glared at the two, but they stood defiantly before him.

Apophis was a mess- mud was spattered all over the front of his cloak and shroud. Rage was alight in that deep blue eye as Tiff guarded her brother and glared back, her sword pointed. "You... You little *BRAT!*" Cried the Commander, baring harshly pointed fangs. "You ruined my outfit!" 

Both of them balked at that. The siblings stared incredulously at the Dark Matter as he raged. "Look at me. I'm filthy!"

"And you got beat up by kids!" Tuff crossed his arms and huffed, soccer ball still under his foot. "Give it up, bud, you aren't hurting my sister! You could even say you're outclassed!" Tiff grinned momentarily and snorted at her little brother's proclamations. Ever since they met Kit Cosmos, he'd always wanted to be a hero, and now he was living his dream.

"Why you little-!" Apophis charged, and Tuff picked up his foot- He hit directly on the legs, and Tiff watched in amused awe as her brother knocked the Commander off-balance and he fell right off the cliff. His fall was so anticlimactic, like one of their cartoons, but Tiff didn't care.

The two and their parents stared as he splashed into the water, and came up sopping wet- Shaking water from his crests, Apophis let out a string of cuss words that I can't type out if I want this to remain a HNK fic, and then a promise. "You ain't bested me yet! I'm coming back when I change!"

And as the Matter disappeared, the two children broke into a fit of laughter. Peals of joy rang out from the two as they laughed, and Tiff felt tears streaming down her cheeks again- Relief, adrenaline, pain and a knot of dread were making her thoughts move a million miles an hour.

"Tiff, Tuff, you two could have been *killed*!" Her father scolded. "What even *was* that?!"

"I'll- I'll explain, dad." She got up and wiped the tears from her face- she was covered in dirt, scrapes from falling, and blood from the scythe, but she didn't care. Nobody else was hurt, except for maybe Apophis' pride. "Can we go home first? I'm... Starting to feel a little..." She stumbled, fell, and her world gave way to a dizzying black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a close call there, Tiff.


	10. First Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiff visits a dark place, and hears some choice words.

"Where.... Am I?"

The young girl sat up and rubbed her head. Tiff's side was bandaged nicely, but she wasn't anywhere she recognized- Z sat in front of her like a particularly patient cat. In fact, the Dark Matter drone had taken the form of a one-eyed feline. "Z?"

"Hello." The voice was actually coming from the Matter, which surprised her. "Where are we?"

Her head swiveled to her surroundings, and Tiff had to try to drink it all in at once. The place surrounding her was dark. She seemed to be sitting in a forest, on a recently-trodden path- Everything was in shades of navy blue, from the grass to the brambles to the gnarled, tall trees. The trees... They were taller than any she'd ever seen before. The branches were mostly barren of leaves, and the ones that had them only had them sparsely. The leaves were small, and scattered the forest floor in perplexing spots of detritus. Spots of softly glowing cyan mushrooms grew from the floor of the woods. They looked strangely similar to the ones she'd seen in the caverns, when she fell into that patch. Brambles spiked from the darkness as well- They moved, despite there being no leaves, and Tiff felt a feeling of dread just by looking at them. It was like they weren't just brambles. But, even despite that, the girl swallowed her fear and spoke. "What is this place?"

"Currently, in reality, you are asleep and being cared for by your parents. I figured that your sleep is the best time to show you the homeworld." They stood up and padded over to her, then settled beside her with a swish of their tail. It scattered bits of leaves around. "Welcome to the Hyper Zone."

A beat of silence as she looked around again. "It's... Beautiful." Tiff reached out and tapped one of the glowing mushrooms, smiling as cyan spores dusted her fingers."Ah, but once you learn what lurks here, you will think quite the opposite." Z stood up on its four legs, and tilted its cycloptic head at her. "Stand, and follow me, Master Tiff."

_*Master Tiff.*_ She mused as she followed the small feline. _*I like it. It has a ring to it.*_ As they walked through the dark forest, leaves and small plants crunching beneath their feet, it was very quiet. It felt like they were being watched constantly- Like cameras, even though nothing mechanical stood in these woods. The feeling of eyes on her back made her shiver, and soon, she felt compelled to break the silence stretching between them. "So... What is the Hyper Zone?"

"The homeland of Dark Matter, the dwelling place of Zero, and a pocket in space-time where day never comes. Just like our god's purpose- To drown hope and joy." She had to think after that. The girl obviously felt our of her element, but as she looked around, the cold, dreadful serenity was strangely comforting in a way. Calming. She knew she had everything to fear and everything to lose, but even with that, calm washed over her. "I... I think it's nice here. Calm." Tiff tapped on the surface of another glowing mushroom, watching as the glow strengthened and spores flew. "The darkness is your friend," they responded, staring through her. "You take no fear from its presence."

"Of course I'm not afraid of the dark!" The apprentice crossed her arms and huffed. "I'm not even afraid of what's in it. It won't hurt me. If it does, I'll give it what-for." The feline shape nodded sagely, and turned, brushing it's tail along the forest floor as Tiff's indignance faded. "Come now." Z stated as it continued. "You have much to see."

So, the two traveled along, and Tiff found the time to really look around some more. The path under her feet seemed made of ancient cobblestone, now, grass and weeds growing up through it and, despite it's regular blue color, like everything in the Hyper Zone, it was illuminated red by that giant... eye? _*An eye?*_ She had to do a double take to the sky, and sure enough, there it was. A massive red eye had taken the place of the moon.

And was locked onto her.

She felt shivers course down her entire body as she stared right back at it, resisting the urge to flinch and close her eyes. Tiff swallowed her fear and stared defiantly back at it. _*I can't let it beat me. It's not gonna get what it wants.*_ Surrounding it, more eyes began to open- Of all different colors, different sizes. Thousands, no, millions of them were there, and the apprentice felt a sick sensation building in her. 

**Why do you defy me?**

A voice spoke to her. Z ran over, leaped and sat on her shoulder, as if sensing it- Both of them stared into the sky defiantly, a scowl twisting on Tiff's face. She felt a need to defy it even more. Just out of spite for that red eye.

**Answer me. Why do you defy my will?**

" 'Cause if I don't, who will?" The voice was unfamiliar, but cold, unyielding. The sound of it made her stomach tighten. The eye in the sky blinked at her words, and blood looked to be running from it, dripping before her in a red pool. 

**Your efforts are futile, girl. There are millions of us and one of you.**

"But if I don't try, who will? I love my world. I love my family, I love my friends. I'm not going down without a fight."

**Love.... I have not heard that word in a long time. What a pathetic concept. Love, friends.... It will not save you from the Hive.**

The presence in the air was receding, the eyes closing one by one. 

**But, you may try as much as you want. It has been a long time since I have had a good fight. Tiff... We meet very soon.**

And all at once, the eye in the sky closed, and the moon came back. The spite faded from her, and now she just felt a strange, cold dread. "Z, who was that?" She murmured, rubbing her hands along her arms. The creature turned its head to her, and spoke."Lord Zero has spoken to you." Those words made her blood freeze as she continued down the path. In the distance, a derelict city loomed, and in the center, a large palace. Itlooked opulent, fancy, a stark comparison to its surroundings. _*Zero talked to me. That was Zero, the god of suffering and misery and everything bad.*_ "Your defiance in the face of our Lord is inspiring, Master Tiff. I have information to impart once we leave. Please, find me when you can."

"You got it, Z. Let's go." She felt a new passion burning in her stomach. A passion to make it all better, a passion to avenge everything Zero caused. Silence once more. "So..." She broke the silence again. "Wasn't Zero destroyed in the Ripplian War?"

"Yes." Its single, deep purple eye turned to her. "His physical form was destroyed twice by the pink ball you know as Kirby."

"Didn't Dedede help at one point?"

"Surprisingly." It brushed its tail against the back of her head, directing her forward. "He does not seem like the helping type, but he went along for the journey after one of our drones was expelled from his body. He felt indebted." The forest had thinned and receded, replaced by grassy areas, and occasionally, a ruined building. Some of them even looked like houses. "Z, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Master Tiff."

"Where are you taking me?" They were very close to the derelict city now. "I am taking you into Nightfall Manor. There is something I wish to show you."

_*Nightfall Manor. I'm going into that palace.*_

The tattered red flags fluttered in a seemingly nonexistent breeze, the eye symbol of Zero stark against the fabric. Tiff felt a shiver down her spine as they continued into the city- The place was inhabited by Dark Matter, yes. But everyone was the same. Everywhere she looked, she saw unsettling uniformity. Everything was horribly perfect, just as Zero had designed it. There were no children running about and laughing, no wares being hawked despite the marketplace shelves seeming full. It was completely soundless here. Yet it felt deafening. She was being watched, she knew it- Whether by Zero or the Matter surrounding her. "Z?"

"Yes, Master Tiff?"

"Why is this place so... Weird?" The feline figure's tail curled. The palace in front of her was made of red stone, with windows only higher up off the foundations of the palace. It was beautiful, in the way planet destruction was beautiful- Something that you want to look at, out of morbid curiosity, but never wanted to get close to. "This place was once known as the Capital City of Jambandra. The Jamcora once lived here." _*Jamcora?*_

"But haven't they been dead for a long time?"

"Very few remain, so technically. The magic explosion at their home ripped into space-time, creating pocket dimensions such as this one. You are seeing a reflection of the Capital City of Jambandra, as it once was, thousands upon thousands of years ago." _*So that's why this place is so creepy.*_ They continued towards the palace in the center. Tiff took a deep breath as they came to the massive, opulent gates, and she stared at their inscriptions. They were gold, red stone and obsidian, made for beings much taller than her. An eye symbol, residing over characters of a language that she'd seen, but never read. _*This has to be absolutely ancient.*_ The doors in front of her creaked loudly, joints seeming to strain, and she stepped back in shock as they began to open seemingly on their own. "Lord Zero knows you are here," Z advised from their shoulder. "Tread carefully once inside, and do not take anything out that you did not bring in. Lord Zero is protective over his things."

"Got it." A knot of dread had worked its way into her stomach, but she continued forward inside anyway. She had to continue forward, she felt it in her soul, so she did. And she listened as the doors shut themselves behind her with an ominous, clanging finality. 

_*No turning back now.*_

Entering into the main room, she didn't see much. It was strangely, surprisingly empty. Everything was neatly swept, neatly put together. Nothing was out of place, and the being residing here liked it that way. A grand, gold and mahogany staircase stretched out around her, a few bookshelves lined the walls, and two perfectly aligned, just alike doors were under the stairs. But it felt all the same, all so eerily uniform. 

"This place," Z hopped down from her shoulder as they spoke. Their paws made a thump on the floor, and their tail swished. "Is where Dark Matter gather for announcements from our Lord. Many of the rooms in the palace have not much for purpose, but this one does."

"Why are those doors there?" She pointed to the doors and raised an eyebrow. They had eerie glowing behind them, and it made her skin crawl a bit. "Those," Z responded, "Are where you enter if you seek an audience with Lord Zero. They are trials that you must complete in order to earn the chance to speak directly to him."

"Where do you want me to go?" _*The last thing I want is to go through those.*_ "Up the staircase and to the right. There is something important that I wish to show you." Tiff listened to her little guide, and began up the stairs, surprised by the echo her footsteps caused. The apprentice felt like she could even hear the thumping of her heart._*This place is so empty...*_ Tiff took the silent time to look around as she walked- There were carvings in the red bricks. The floor was tiled in cream and black, and jewels lined the windows. Z gestured her down another hallway- Things hung on the walls here. Depictions in torn, faded tapestries lined this hallway. For whatever reason, they gave her the chills, and she walked faster. 

The first one had a picture of what looked like one being, swirling with colors, and a symbol beneath it. A black and white circle, the colors swirled into one another. A spot of white was in the black, and a spot of black in the white. In this tapestry, the world was peaceful.

The next, a great divide- Two beings, one black and blue and the other white and red, falling away from each other, separated by a jagged line of lightning almost. Both beings had what looked like clawmarks in them- they were hurt, separated from one another. On the side of the dark being, there was moonlight and a peaceful field. On the side of the light being, there was a red river, lit by a scorching sun. Suffering and joy, once one, had become two.

After that, was a war. Groups of people attacking each other with what looked like Dark Matter spattered into their ranks- The one-eyed beings wrought havoc upon the world. Tiff had read about this in her history books- The First Galactic Crisis, everyone called it. Halicandria and Jambandra fought, and nearly destroyed each other. Chaos, death and hatred, and this scene was overlooked by a red eye. The dark being stood by, meanwhile, with what looked like a worried expression. _Joy._ Their cyan eye was upturned to the red one.

Then, a clash between the two- Joy and suffering. They fought endlessly- One, wielding bright blue fire, and the other, ice and thorns. They were being held apart, however- a tall figure stood between them. The figure between them looked made of clockwork, even in the medium of tapestry. The string that they were made with was shimmering copper.

The two had been separated, for good this time, in the final tapestry. One, the dark being with the blue fire, was standing with a mirror, and the other with a crown. They divided from one another by what looked like a jagged barrier, like the strike that tore them apart. And over it all, the clockwork figure watched sternly. After that, nothing remained. 

_*These ones are burnt...*_ Tiff put a hand over one of the charred fabric hangings. After that final tapestry, the rest were a burnt, withered black. Z beckoned her forward, and she forced away the intrigue, forging forward until she heard voices from behind a large set of doors. "Listen," Z whispered, their deep purple eye severe. "Listen and learn."

**"Eclipse. I have called you here today to tell you that I have decided to be merciful. Stand."**

Tiff's heart was beating hard. _*Eclipse! He's okay!*_

"Thank you, father. You will not be disappointed."

**"Doubtful. I will not tolerate another slip up. If I get wind of your feelings getting in the way of your duty again, I will not be merciful like this."**

She felt a feeling of dread at those words. A cold, creeping dread, climbing into her very soul. 

**"Eclipse, do you know what will happen if I deem you useless?"**

"No, father. Please educate me."

**"You will become the new vessel. I fear I cannot elaborate now, however. We have a visitor."**

"What...?" 

Tiff felt her blood freeze as a deep, insidious laugh came from Zero. So many feelings bubbled in her- Anger at Zero, sympathy for Eclipse, fear of the god behind those doors.

**"You heard me right, boy. The child you decided to have a friendly chat with has been listening. I believe that she has overstayed her welcome."**

Her eyes turned desperately to Z, and they nodded, placing their head against hers as the world began to fade to black. 

**"Whatever you do to her... Show no mercy, or no mercy will be shown to you. Is this clear, Eclipse?"**

"...Yes, father."

And after that final, regretful phrase, her eyes shut, one thought ringing in her head.

_*Eclipse isn't who he seems.*_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of worldbuilding and headcanons. Tell me what you think!


End file.
